


Kanaya Maryam Is An Observant Troll

by MistLaFey



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Canon-typical language, Dave/Karkat in progress, F/F, Idiots in Love, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Rose/Kanaya established, a bit of angst, a shit understanding of quadrants on my part, also rose isn't drinking yet, also this is my meteor, and no one wants to admit when they have crushes on other people, but hey, but none of the deaths stuck, but they're all me, dave tries to work through his shit, definitely some gay panic, everyone still went murdery, fight me roommate, i just suck at keeping tense and voice coherent, i write to feel the same amount of power as i do, idek i havent written fanfic in years, if they just talked probably none of this would happen, its romance and fluff, karkat's self-loathing, may add more characters and tags as i need them, meteorstuck but no one died, my roommate is dragging me back into homestuck, overdramatic reactions, rose attempts therapy, rose is scheming, she just wants people to be happy, this is a strange amalgamation of several writing styles, when i trap my sims in a swimming pool and watch them drown, which means that i make the rules, working showers and plumbing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22313803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistLaFey/pseuds/MistLaFey
Summary: Kanaya walks in on an argument between Dave and Eridan, she observes Karkat's behavior. Intrigued, she brings this up with Rose who is cryptic as ever.
Relationships: Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas, Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam
Comments: 8
Kudos: 170





	1. Chapter 1

Kanaya Maryam was an observant troll, so when she walked into the nutrition block to find Eridan and Dave in an argument the first thing she noticed was the way Karkat had slid himself between them. He was crowding himself against Dave, pushing his head up under Dave’s chin and protecting his throat. 

She stopped in the doorway to watch the argument play out. Dave was quiet when he argued, he kept his tone calm. His arms hung loosely by his sides until Karkat pushed back against his chest in response to Eridan leaning forward trying to get in Dave’s face. Dave wrapped an arm around Karkat’s waist, steadying them both. 

Kanaya was certain that Karkat and Dave both had no idea what was happening, so when Karkat began to snarl at Eridan and it started to seem like he was actually going to take a bite out of the sea-dweller, she stepped in.

“That Is Quite Enough All Of You”

Eridan immediately stepped back, allowing Kanaya more space in the room. Karkat visibly relaxed, slouching in Dave’s hold. He took in a deep breath as Dave brought up his other hand and gently rubbed a small circle on the back of Karkat’s shoulder. 

"If One Or All Of You Have No Further Purpose In The Nutrition Block I Suggest You Leave"

It was Eridan who huffed and turned to leave. Kanaya watched him leave, feigning interest to insure he would not hear the conversation she intended to have with Karkat and Dave.

"Would One Of You Like To Explain What It Is That I Just Witnessed"

“ERIDAN WAS BEING A TOTAL SHITEATING MORON.”

“its movie night”

“I Fail To See How These Two Facts Are Related”

Karkat sighed heavily, leaning against the counter. “ HE WAS JUST BEING A PRICK, KANAYA.”

Dave put a hand on Karkat’s shoulder, only for Karkat to shrug it off.  “why dont you work on the popcorn and ill explain”

Karkat nodded tiredly before turning to start making the popcorn, allowing Dave and Kanaya time to speak.

“okay so karkat and i came down to make some popcorn because obviously if were gonna watch a movie we need popcorn”

“and then eridan came in here and started doing whatever it is that pompous fish-dicks do when theyre in the kitchen and as soon as he saw us he started spouting off absolutely ridiculous shit like not even decent insults”

“if they can even be called insults and not baseless accusations but dude i was ready to smack a bitch and honestly if the bitch was eridan could you blame me??”

“You Are Not Helping To Dispel This Fog Of Confusion Dave”

“im getting there”

“anyway he must have said something that really ticked karkles off because he started doing the huffy-growling thing”

“so i pushed him behind me and proceeded to tell the fishmonger off which is about when you walked in”

“First A Fishmonger Is Someone Who Sells Fish”

“And Secondly Are You Telling Me That You Do Not Know The Cause Of This Argument Either”

“i guess so”

“it didnt make a lot of sense to me”

“eridan was using troll lingo and i dont really get all that shit”

“Then Why Did You Volunteer To Explain This To Me”

“uuuh....” 

Kanaya crosses her arms and gives Dave the Disappointed But Caring Mother glare.

“fine”

“i really didnt want you to ask karkat about it”

“he seemed really upset when eridan started going off and i really just want to get him into bed”

Kanaya raises an eyebrow.

“wait”

“shit”

“not like that”

“no homo”

“we watch movies in my room”

“on my bed”

“not a gay thing”

Kanaya was definitely going to be telling Rose about this conversation later.

“That Is A Sufficient Explanation Dave”

“You And Karkat Should Go And Enjoy Your Time Together”

Dave looked extremely grateful for the escape.

“Oh”

“And Karkat”

“I Will Be Setting Aside Some Time For You And I To Discuss Tonights Events Tomorrow”

“I Would Like To Hear Your Version Of The Argument As Well”

Karkat said nothing, but nodded as he grabbed the large bowl of popcorn from the counter and followed Dave to his room.


	2. Chapter 2

Dave and Karkat are lying on Dave’s bed, The Princess Bride playing on the television. Dave is sitting up against the headboard and Karkat is leaning across his leg. Platonically. A total chill dude move, really. 

“so do you want to tell me why you nearly killed fish-for-brains”

“I WOULDN'T HAVE KILLED HIM. JUST SERIOUSLY MAIMED OR INJURED.”

Dave sighs and pulls his leg out from underneath Karkat, pausing the movie. 

“karkat”

“DAVE.”

“dude dont try to play me”

“you know im not as bad at this whole troll-lingo thing as i let kanaya believe”

“you gonna tell me why eridan set you off that bad??”

Karkat groaned, rolling onto his back and covering his face with his hands.

“IT’S REALLY NOT THAT IMPORTANT. JUST SOME FUCKING STUPID TROLL SHIT.”

“uh huh”

“and you were totally gonna rip eridan to pieces over something not important”

“you most certainly were going to cut the fishfucker up over something not important”

“isnt that some sort of troll romance thing”

“finding all the little things that piss you off and making a big fucking deal out of it all just so you can go like make out all sloppy and angry over what amounts to the karmic equivalent of a hang nail”

"and if you wanna be like that with eridan thats totally your call"

"but i think you could do much better than fish for brains"

Karkat rolls his eyes beneath his hands, then realizes that the motion was lost on Dave because his eyes were still covered. He removes his hands from his face and repeats the motion, if only because what Dave is saying is so asinine that it deserves two eyerolls. 

“DAVE. SERIOUSLY. HE WAS JUST BEING AN OBTUSE SHITHEAD.”

“cool”

“cool”

“so if i went down the hall and asked kanaya to explain what eridan meant when he said that we ‘vacillate through quadrants faster than a hopbeast procreates’ youd be chill”

Karkat Vantas would most definitely not be chill if Dave were about to do that. Dave why are you standing up. Dave. Dave Stop. Dave!

Karkat Vantas proceeds to tackle Dave Strider back into the bed.

“FINE. FINE!”

“IT MEANS THAT-”

“ERIDAN THINKS THAT-”

Karkat falls back into the bed, crushing Dave into the mattress and burying his face into Dave’s shoulder.

“HE’S JUST A TOTAL SHITLORD, OKAY?”

Dave places a hand on Karkat’s shoulder and alternates between gentle squeezes and short slides.

“obviously yeah”

“but i would really appreciate it if you would tell me”

“cuz i totally told eridan off”

“so like if he makes a smug comment or some shit i need to be able to tell him off again instead of looking like an idiot who came to your rescue without really knowing if you needed to be rescued”

“dude dont make me act like a total dipshit in front of that fishmonger.”

“KANAYA ALREADY TOLD YOU A FISHMONGER IS SOMEONE WHO SELLS FISH. IT’S NOT AN INSULT, DAVE.”

“dont care”

“sounds like one”

“so”

“tell me”

Karkat huffs into the quilt on the bed, bawling it up in his fist. Dave sighs and digs his fingers into Karkat’s hair, running his nails along the scalp. Karkat begins to purr quietly, relaxing into Dave’s touch. He is always so stressed, so tightly wound. It's always so tempting to just… bleed into Dave’s touches, to just exist there. Especially on Movie Nights when he knew no one would bother them.

“i know quadrants means troll romance stuff”

“so”

“wanna go from there??”

“FUCK. FINE.”

“I WOULDN’T HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT IF YOU JUST PAID MORE ATTENTION WHEN I EXPLAINED IT ALL THE FIRST TIME.”

Dave rolls his eyes, thankful for his shades. If Karkat knew how many times a day Dave rolled his eyes at him, he would probably have an aneurysm. 

“WHAT ERIDAN BASICALLY MEANT WAS THAT WE BLUR THE LINES OF QUADRANTSHIP, AT LEAST ACCORDING TO HIM.”

“do we?”

“i mean....”

“i didnt even think we were doing anything romance-y”

“just two dudes being bros”

“watchin movies and chillin”

“IF ANYTHING, WE MIGHT BE, SLIGHTLY, SORT OF, PALE. *IF* THAT.”

“which one is that again”

“PALE, MOIRAIL, THE ONE THAT YOU SAID WAS ‘JUST TWO DUDES BEING BROS.’”

“still dont get how thats romance but okay”

Karkat was tempted to launch into another full explanation of the quadrants, what they were, and why they were important, but honestly it was getting late, he was getting tired and Buttercup had yet to be attacked by the ROUSes, so fuck that. It was time to finish the damn movie. He would talk to Kanaya about it all tomorrow and that would be that. He hoped.


	3. Chapter 3

Kanaya Maryam is an observant troll, and she enjoys gossiping with her girlfriend frequently. Especially if they are given the opportunity to gossip about one Mister Dave Strider. Especially if they can gossip about his love life, or supposed lack-thereof.

“Praytell, what do you mean you caught Karkat and Dave in an amorous embrace?”

Rose was perched on the edge of Kanaya’s sewing bench listening intently as Kanaya explained. The seamstress herself was pinning and folding fabric across her mannequin.

“I Am Uncertain”

“They Were Both Behaving Rather Protectively Of Each Other”

“Although The Fact That Either Of Them Registered Eridan As A Threat May Be The Most Puzzling”

Rose let out a rather unladylike snort. 

“So, what do you intend to do about this?”

“Will you let it play out as it will, or will you involve yourself in the matter?”

“You Tell Me Rose Dear”

“After All”

“You Are The Seer”

Rose lifted her eyebrows and smiled a conspiratory grin.

“ There isn’t much left to do. A few words to Karkat and he may be forced to act.”

“I Have Requested That He Come Speak With Me Tomorrow”

“To Discuss His Perception Of The Events That I Witnessed”

“Then it would be wise to use that time to your advantage, Kanaya.”

Perhaps Kanaya Maryam was too observant of a troll. It seems she has figured out Rose’s devious plans. Better to be a conspirator than the fracture point of a good devious plan.

“Rose My Dearest”

“What Did You Put Into Motion When You Were Speaking With Eridan This Morning”

Rose smiles, reaching for Kanaya’s waist. There was intent to distract her from this line of questioning, but no intent to let her beloved in on all of her schemes.


	4. Chapter 4

Karkat paces outside of Kanaya’s door. He is nervous and attempting to collect his thoughts before the conversation he is dreading.  _ Wait. _

Why are you nervous?

You didn’t do anything wrong. It was Eridan, that prick. He walked in and picked a fight, for no apparent reason. Why would he do that? He couldn’t be that desperate for a kismesis, could he be? And if he is-

Dave argued back. Why?

_ Wait. _

No. What? That doesn’t… he did it because he wanted Eridan to fuck off, right? There’s no way…

Dave doesn’t do quadrants. He doesn’t really get them, he said so himself. But, being around Trolls all the god damn time, he has to absorb something. Maybe he’s been asking Rose questions?

But why would-

But you-

You’d be better. Wouldn’t you? I mean you did-

Did you call him your Moirail last night? Fuck. You did, didn’t you? You’re always such a fucking moron. It’s one of the reasons why no one will ever want you, not the way you want to be wanted. 

Did you freak Dave out last night?

Probably did. Stupid.

He’s probably avoiding you now. That’s why you haven’t seen him yet this morning. He was gone before you woke up, even though you passed out in his room. 

_ Wait. _

See what you’ve done? You made your friend so uncomfortable with just the thought that you might be making pale advances that he got up early just so he wouldn’t have to see you. You made him feel so fucking awkward he left his own-

Kanaya opens the door to see you pacing, hands fisted in your hair.

“Good Morning Karkat”

“Would You Like To Come Inside” 

She holds the door open for you and steps aside. You don’t want to go in there, she’s going to make you talk about what happened last night and you aren’t really sure yourself.

But if you stay out here in the hallway who knows who will walk by. If Dave sees you this strung out he’ll know something is wrong.

That thought alone is enough to drive you into Kanaya’s block. You skitter past her and flop into a pile of fabric resting on her couch. Kanaya follows in her usual graceful manner, gently lowering herself onto the sewing bench. 

“I Know You Came Here Because I Asked You To Explain Yesterdays Events”

“However You Look As Though Something Is Bothering You”

“Perhaps You Would Prefer To Speak About That First”

You freeze. How much can you tell her? How much of that will she tell Rose? How much will Rose tell Dave? 

“In Total Confidence Of Course”

Oh. Well fuck then.

"YOU’RE SURE?”

“YOU WON’T TELL ANYONE? NOT EVEN ROSE?”

Kanaya nods solemnly. Cool.

“YESTERDAY IS KIND OF MAKING ME PANIC.”

“ABOUT DAVE. AND QUADRANTS. AND WHICH ONE WE FALL INTO, IF ANY.”

“WHICH I DON’T THINK WE DO BECAUSE HE DOESN’T DO QUADRANTS. BECAUSE IF HE DID I WOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT HIM GETTING INTO A SITUATION WHERE HE COULD BE HURT.”

“WHICH IS STUPID BECAUSE HE CAN TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF.”

“Would You Like To Pursue Him”

Woah. Hey, look at that. Kanaya has the ability to make your brain blue screen. Neat. 

She sits primly as always while you panic internally. You know she is patient enough to simply wait for you to respond, and it seems like that is what she is intent on doing. You know she’s watching you. You’ve waited too long now, she’s going to know if you lie. Nice going, stupid. Now you can’t say no without her giving you a hardcore side-eye.

Wait.

Why not? It’s the truth.

“NO, KANAYA DON’T BE RIDICULOUS. I’M NOT- I’M NOT INTO DAVE LIKE THAT.”

Fuck. There’s the side-eye. She’s got you on the ropes. Fucking Maryam and her fucking bullshit filter. Fucking fuck fuck.

“OKAY YOU KNOW WHAT, MARYAM?”

“GO FUCK YOURSELF.”

She tilts her head and lifts her eyebrow, as if to say ‘Karkat you are so full of shit.’

“Karkat”

“If You Are Going To Continue To Lie To Yourself”

“Fine”

“But Do Not Lie To Me”

“It Is Insulting That You Would Think I Would Believe It”

At least you have the decency to look ashamed when she calls you out on your bullshit. You look at your feet. Did you steal Strider’s shoes? Maybe. Huh. Weird.

“Would You Like To Continue This Topic”

“Or Shall We Move On To What Occured Yesterday In The Nutrition Block?”

Maybe if you recount what happened yesterday Kanaya will let you leave so you can go have your own freak-out session in private.

“ERIDAN CAME INTO THE ROOM WHILE DAVE AND I WERE GETTING OUR SNACKS FOR MOVIE NIGHT,”  you continue to stare at your feet while you explain.

“I’M NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED. DAVE AND I WERE-”

You continue to tell Kanaya what happened, recalling the events as you speak. Out of some sense of self-preservation and a desire for privacy, you don’t tell her every detail. You don’t tell her that as Dave was reaching for the popcorn in the snack cabinet you had cuddled close to him, resting your chin on his shoulder even as he stretched. You don’t tell her that as he was going for the popcorn you mumbled that you wanted the sour gummies instead, and that he quipped back saying that you didn’t need more sour. You didn’t tell her that that had started a joking argument, as was common between you and Dave. One that appeared serious to everyone else, but you could both tell the other was joking. You don’t tell her how Dave grabbed at you in a mock-menacing way and pulled you against him in a hug. You had laughed then. You don’t tell her how you wrapped your arms around his waist gently, tucking your head against his neck. 

That was when Eridan made his comment,  “you twwo vvacillate through quadrants faster than a hopbeast procreates.”

He spooked you both, but Dave reacted faster. He pushed you behind him faster than you could get a word out.  “step off eridan youre just cranky cuz youre alone”

Eridan pulled his shoulders back, apparently interested in the gauntlet Dave had just thrown down. You would have been fine to just let it play out, but Eridan stepped into Dave’s space and raised his hand as though he were going to-

You slid out from behind Dave, pressed your back against his chest. You were just the right height to cover his throat, but you were off balance like this. Dave put his arms around your waist, either steadying you or holding you back. Maybe both.

“just pick one already. it isnt fair to anyone else wwho may be interested in an open quadrant.”

“i dont do that quadrant shit and you know it”

“is that really fair to evveryone else, davve?”

“dude it only affects me”

Eridan’s gaze dropped from Dave to you. You snarled at him. He smirked before looking back to Dave. 

“are you quite sure about that?”

You felt Dave’s fingers dig further into your hips,  “fuck off ampora”

“That Is Quite Enough All Of You”

“-AND THAT’S ABOUT WHEN YOU WALKED IN. THANKS FOR THAT, BY THE WAY.”

Kanaya nodded, seemingly satisfied with the information you had given her. 

“Are You In The Right Headspace To Receive Information That Could Possibly Hurt You”

Oh fuck. She’s going to call you out again. She’s going to drop a steaming bowl of insight in your lap. She’s-

“FINE.”

“I Believe That There Is A Possibility Eridan May Be Interested In Dave”

“I Believe That You Are Not Being Honest With Yourself Or Dave About Your Feelings For Each Other”

“I Believe It May Be Your Responsibility To Teach Dave The Proper Definitions Of Each Quadrant And How To Navigate Those Relationships If He Is Interested In Doing So”

“I Believe You Are Conflicted Because You Cannot Limit Your Feelings For Him To One Quadrant”

“And So You Convince Yourself That He Is Uninterested In Pursuing You At All”

“You Would Rather Not Have Him At All Than Be Confused By Your Own Wants and Desires”

“But In This Process Karkat”

“You Have Forgotten One Extremely Important Detail”

“Dave Is Human”

“He Does Not Understand Quadrants Because His Species Never Had Need For Them”

“And Now”

“Neither Does Ours”

Karkat.exe has stopped working.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally starting to actually get interested in writing this, so chapter lengths are going to be all over the place now. Also, sorry if it's getting confusing because I'm switching between second and third person contexts.


	5. Chapter 5

Dave had not been expecting to be woken up after a long night of half decent movies by his phone damn near exploding from the texts and calls Rose was sending his way, but hey. Sometimes a girl really just has to disturb a guy while he’s getting his snuggle on.

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] --

TT: Dave.

TT: Dave.

TT: I need you to wake up, Dave.

TT: This is important.

TT: Dave, wake up and come to my room now.

TT: Dave.

TT: Dave.

TT: Whatever half-baked excuse you're planning to attempt to use is not going to work.

TT: Get up, Dave.

TG: what the fuck rose

TG: what is so fucking important that you have to blow up my phone

TG: wake a dude up after movie night

TG: better be a colossal emergency

TG: im talkin like jack just landed on the fucking rock level emergency

TT: Jack has not landed on the meteor.

TT: But I still require your assistance, regardless of that fact.

TT: Please come to my room.

TT: Do not wake Karkat.

_ okay rose what the fuck could be so important _ Dave makes his way to Rose’s room quietly, careful not to wake Karkat both because Rose told him not to and also because the dude needs his sleep.

Dave knocks on her door once, and she opens it before he could hit it again.

“sup”

Rose holds the door open for him, beckoning him inside.

“I do belive it is time for us to have a chat, Dave.”

“About certain people in our lives and how to make healthy decisions.”

“rose”

“what the fuck are you on about”

“is something wrong between you and kan??”

“did she like”

“pull your hair too hard while yall were mackin or somethin”

Rose carefully sits down in a swivel chair, then picks up a notepad and a pen. _Shit,_ Dave thinks, _This is about you._ _She wants to do her psycho-babble therapy shit and tell you you have daddy issues again. Fuck._

“I suggest you take a seat, Dave.”

“This session will be a long one, I believe.” 

_ Only because you want it to be a long session, _ he wants to say.  _ I know you’re planning something, always scheming and shit. What are you planning this time? Gonna try and make me cry over normal everyday shit?  _ Instead of saying that, he sighs and plops himself onto her bed. Dave glances at her beneath his shades. She has already started taking notes.

“I would like to begin this session by addressing your attraction to Karkat and what you intend to do about it, as the repression you are currently utilizing is doing neither of you any favors.”

He whips his head towards her so quickly that the momentum carries him. Dave falls off the bed in a graceless heap, then glares at Rose from his newfound position on the floor. His shades are skewed so one lens is covering his eye, and the other is uselessly covering part of his forehead. At least the glare comes across better this way.

Rose shifts, crossing her legs in the other direction and resting her chin in her hand. The challenge here is clear. Rose has not so much thrown the gauntlet at his feet as put the gauntlet on, clocked Dave square across the face with it once, twice, a third time and then while he was on the ground nursing his newly-broken nose she threw the fucking gauntlet, which is totally metal by the way, directly on his nose. Which is broken. Because she punched him with her hand in a metal fucking glove. Fuck.

“If you won’t talk, I do have a backup plan here, brother dear.”

“To repurpose a cliché, the ace is up my sleeve. I have all the aces, really." She  _ knows  _ he won’t do well with being backed into a corner, but it’s also usually the only way he’ll spill anything. Dave’ll give in eventually, if only because he’s gonna be trapped on this fucking rock with her for a long while still. But, by god, he’s going to make it feel like pulling teeth in the foolish hope that she’ll give up and he’ll be able to walk away with your pride intact. 

“this shit aint cool”

“rose”

“i didnt ask to be therapized right now”

“But you haven’t walked away either.”

“Perhaps you’d like to begin by speaking about the supposed black-rom flirting you engaged in with Eridan, if that would be easier than speaking about Karkat?”

“what”

“no”

“i wasnt fucking flirting with him”

“he was pissing karkat off”

“i was just being a good bro”

“gotta keep him from going murdery”

“I see.”

“So the embrace Kanaya witnessed you and Karkat in was just your way of protecting Karkat.”

“uh”

“yeah sure”

_ Fuck. That was a trap, wasn’t it? _

“And, do you often feel protective of Karkat?”

_ Yup. Totally a trap. Way to go, Strider. _ This entire conversation is going to be a series of traps.

“no??”

Rose looks at him appraisingly. Dave has yet to move since he fell off her bed. His legs are splayed in front of him, arms behind him keeping him up. As she stares he reaches up and slide his shades back into place. That appears to have been the wrong move because she frowns and scribbles quickly on her notepad. Dave crosses his legs and lean back against the post of Rose’s bed.

“ok”

“fuck fine”

“sometimes yeah”

“but thats not weird”

“im protective of my friends”

“its not like i wouldnt have done the same thing for you or like”

“kanaya or john or jade”

Rose lifts an eyebrow, but continues to write.

“fuck rose”

“its not like you wouldnt have done it for kanaya”

_ Fuck fuck fuck fuck shit. _ That was not what he meant to say or imply. Now she’s gonna be lookin at him all smug and shit. There she goes. She puts the pen and notepad down on the arm of her chair and crosses her arms, leaning back in the seat. It’s the look that says, “Come on, Dave. Can you make this at least a  _ little  _ challenging for me?”

“fuck”

“im not gay”

“rose this is not a gay thing”

“Okay.”

“You aren’t gay, I believe you.”

“thank yo-”

“But you are, in some way, attracted to Karkat.”

_ Fuck you, Rose Lalonde. Fuck you and your psyco-babble therapy bullshit. It doesn’t make everyone feel better, you know? Sometimes it makes people feel worse.  _

Dave begins bouncing the back of his head against her bedpost in some small hope that if he dies to blunt force trauma like this she’ll leave him alone for a few days while he recuperate. No such luck, it seems.

“Dave, stop that.”

Dave, keep doing that.

“Dave this is really immature of you, and all you’re going to accomplish is giving yourself a headache.”

Dave doesn’t care. He does not give a single solitary fuck. He just wants to go back to his room and watch another movie with Karkat. He doesn’t care that he’s seen them all like a bajillion times over already. He’s like, one of the most fun people on this fucking rock-

_ Shit. _

Dave might not be gay, but he really does enjoy spending time with Karkat. His face flames red, and he drops it into his hands with a groan.

“Shall we talk about it now?”

“no”

“lets never talk about this”

“ever”

He isn’t watching her anymore, which is why Dave startles when Rose drops down next to him and bumps her shoulder against his. Neither of them really do ‘touchy’ with each other, but he knows this is comfort. She knows she put him in a shitty situation and she feels bad about it. Good.

“You’re going to be alright, Dave. I was, and now you get the bonus of someone to lean on.”

“okay”

“but like”

“thats different”

“Why?”

“we didnt grow up in the same place”

“you wouldn’t get it”

“and youre a girl”

“thats”

“different”

Rose shrugs as he looks down, despondent.

“Both of the places we grew up in are gone now.”

“So are their cultural norms and values.”

“We are the only ones to carry those burdens into the new session.”

“Are you eager to introduce internalized homophobia to this new world?” 

The look Dave gives Rose is enough to make her frown. If she pulls his head onto her shoulder and rubs his back as he hides his tears in her neck, well, that may just be one of the perks of having Rose Lalonde for a sister. And Dave know she’ll never tell anyone, not even Kanaya.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapters 6 & 7 are the same, just from two different perspectives.

Movie night is awkward that evening, Dave thinks.

He is still processing everything he discussed with Rose. He can’t decide whether it’s better to admit he likes Karkat, and  _ only  _ Karkat, or if he’s gay, full stop. If he’s gay liking Karkat becomes a lesser issue, because then it’s not about Karkat and Dave can try to handle his shit on his own. If it’s Karkat, and it’s just this one time, with this one guy, then that really doesn’t do anything to solve the gay thing. If there is a gay thing. Probably isn’t. The meteor is just boring and Karkat is fun to hang out with. Would he be able to deal with the problem again, if it were to come up? And if it never comes up again, where does that leave him? Fucking limbo, that’s where. It sucks. Everything sucks. This movie  _ really  _ sucks. 

Karkat is quiet, for once. He apparently hadn’t left because when Dave came back from speaking with Rose he found Karkat on his couch, a shitty romance novel in hand, he froze in the doorway. 

Karkat sat up, dropping his book in the process,  “DAVE?”

Dave just shook his head, closed the door and rounded the couch. He dropped down, pushing Karkat back to where he had been laying. He crossed his arms over Karkat’s chest and used them as a pillow. After a day dealing with his own stupid brain at Rose’s behest, he really just wanted rest and comfort. To hell with the little voice in the back of his head calling him weak for this.

“DO YOU WANT TO TALK?”

Dave shakes his head. He pulls his shades off and sets them on the table next to the laptop before burying his face in his arms again.

“OKAY.”

That’s all Karkat says, just… okay. He reaches down and picks up his book from where it rests on the floor, flips back to where he thinks he left off, and gets back to reading. Dave just lays there, half on top of him, face buried in his arms until Karkat finishes the book. It’s one Dave has seen him read a couple of times. It’s either good enough to warrant being reread or Karkat was just super bored. When he sets the book down for good, he just stares up at the ceiling for a while. 

Dave startles when he feels Karkat’s nails on his scalp. He inhales sharply, and Karkat freezes. It’s only when Dave settles back down that Karkat resumes playing with Dave’s hair. It’s rhythmic and soothing. Neither of them are sure how many times it’s happened before, but this is certainly the first time Dave is consciously aware of it. Karkat drags his nails down the back of Dave’s head, curling them up when he reaches the ends of his hair; then he slides down behind Dave’s ears and gently massages the space where the arms of his shades usually sit. He scritches up to the center of the back of Dave’s head. Then he repeats. After about fifteen minutes, Dave looks up and says:

“i think-”  _ i love you _

He freezes.

“i think we should put on a movie”

_ Coward. _

“UH OKAY.”

“DID YOU HAVE ONE IN MIND?”

“anything is fine”

So Karkat ends up putting in The Time Traveler’s Wife and Dave has to spend the entire time wishing he hadn’t said anything because at least then Karkat would still be running his hands across Dave’s scalp and  _ fuck. Get a hold of yourself, Strider.  _

Dave pushes himself to the other side of the couch, as if the minimal distance will help clear his head. The movie plays but he can’t take his eyes off of Karkat. He wants to reach out and grab the troll. He wants to push him out of the room and be alone.  _ fucking rose and her fucking therapy makin me actually deal with my shit.  _ He wants to launch himself back into Karkat’s lap and ask him to play with his hair again. He wants to punch a wall for craving that kind of attention. He shouldn’t want it, something tells him, he shouldn’t want to curl up in Karkat’s lap and- 

Karkat squeezed himself between Dave’s leg and the back of the couch, dropped a pillow on his lap and made himself nice and comfy. He pulled the blanket up to his chin, covering Dave’s legs in the process. Okay, so that makes one decision easier.


	7. Chapter 7

Movie night is… odd that night, Karkat thinks. Dave is quiet, and he seems… small. Tired. Karkat isn’t going to push it, he knows that some days the meteor can just feel oppressive and lonely. It doesn’t matter that they could go hang out with any number of their friends, because it’s the building itself that creates the feeling of loneliness. So when Dave pushes him to lay back on the couch and collapses into Karkat’s lap, he just lets him. He’s half tempted to pull the blanket over them, but Dave already puts off so much heat that it’s not really necessary. He goes back to reading the book he had in hand when Dave walked in.  It wasn’t that good, and he’s read it too often for him to enjoy it very much. He stares at the ceiling and thinks about the plot. Pretty standard quadrant vacillation and characters, but the main character was a low-blood and didn’t have a quadrant-interest above Cerulean, so that’s unusual. It’s unconscious when he slides his hand into Dave’s hair. He’s just thinking to himself, and doesn’t even realize what he’s done until Dave gasps. He looks down fast. He sees tension in Dave’s shoulders and neck.  _ I REALLY FUCKED UP LAST NIGHT. I NEVER SHOULD HAVE-  _

Karkat quietly takes in a deep breath. Kanaya’s words come back to him.  _ You’re Pretending You Don’t Like Dave Because You Can’t Pick a Quadrant. _ She’s right. Karkat knows she’s right. Fuck it. It doesn’t matter anymore.  _ IF DAVE DOESN’T WANT YOU, FINE. THAT’S HIS CHOICE AND YOU’LL CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN YOU GET TO IT, BUT FOR NOW HE’S HERE. _ Dave’s head is in Karkat’s lap, and  _ DAMN IT,  _ he wants to run his fingers through his hair. It’s soft, and it feels nice, and it calms them both down. So he does, and it works. Dave’s shoulders drop, and his neck relaxes. Karkat goes back to staring at the ceiling. It’s grey concrete, just like everything else, but he can think when he stares at it here. Maybe it’s the angle his neck is at because of the armrest. He doesn't stop petting Dave's hair until he speaks up and asks to put in a movie. Karkat isn't quite sure what makes him pick The Time Traveler's Wife, but it's half decent even after watching it over a dozen times. Maybe it's a mix of the title and wishful thinking on his part, maybe it's a piece of him trying to drop a hint for Dave, or maybe it was just the closest DVD. He manages to get it into the husktop without getting off the couch, though he does unfortunately have to make Dave move. When he goes to lay back down, Dave has moved. His back is against the other armrest, as far from Karkat and his previous position as he could be and still stay on the couch. Karkat tries not to take it personally. Dave had been laying like that for a while, and he couldn't exactly watch the movie if his face was buried in Karkat’s chest.

Karkat tries not to notice the way Dave stares at him instead of the movie the whole time it's on. He tries not to notice how Dave flexes his hands, as though he wants to punch someone. Karkat tries not to think about how much he wants to launch himself across the couch and kiss Dave.  _ FUCK, VANTAS. GET YOURSELF TOGETHER.  _

He settles for resting his head on a pillow, in Dave’s lap. Dave ruffles his hair behind his horns and leaves his hand on the back of Karkat’s neck for the rest of the movie. 

If they both pretend to be asleep when the movie is over, just so they don’t have to move, well. No one will ever know.


	8. Chapter 8

Dave has been to see Rose four times in the past two weeks, Rose had not asked him to come back at all. She knew she had set him on the path he needed, but it was up to him to walk it. However, Rose had not been aware that setting him on this path would wreak so much havoc on her own life. Of the four times he had come to her, she had only been available once. The first time she had been in the shower, and Dave had let himself into her room. She screamed when she exited the bathroom to find him pacing in front of her bed. The second time he had barged into her room, without knocking mind you, Kanaya had been measuring her bust for some new project she was about to begin. Kanaya was mildly confused as to why Rose was embarrassed. The third time she had been in the middle of a rather romantic moment with Kanaya. Did Dave care? No. Luckily Kanaya had been sporting about it, but still, Rose had become rather annoyed with her own plan. And now, the fourth time Dave is standing in front of her door, he actually knocked. 

Rose had opened the door to see Dave pretending to remain composed. The anxiety he was projecting would likely have been missed by nearly anyone else, but Rose had become familiar with the way he hid his stress. Unfortunately, she was much too tired to appear worried. She sighed and walked back into her room,  “Close the door behind you.”

Rose threw herself down into the swivel chair, picked up her notepad and pen and stared at Dave. He turned to throw himself onto the bed, but saw Kanaya curled under the covers at the last second. He dropped himself onto the floor instead.

“shit im interrupting your date night again arent i”

“sorry”

“Dave, date night has long since ended. I was asleep. Can we please talk about what sent you running my way at whatever god-awful time it is so I can get back to sleep?”

“oh”

“huh”

“i mean”

“i could always come back later”

“You are here now, and obviously in need of either my input or my listening skills. And I am awake now, so please explain yourself.”

“cool”

“cool”

“uh”

Dave pauses. He pinches the bridge of his nose and scrunches his face up. His shades are missing. Not in hand, or on his head, and certainly not on his face. He exhales deeply, puffing out his cheeks as he does so. He drops his head back against the bedpost and avoids eye contact. Rose knows he is stressed and nervous. She tilts her head to an angle she knows projects supportive curiosity. She puts her notepad and pen down, and she waits.

“i kissed him”

“karkat”

Rose allows her eyes to widen and she turns her head the other way, but it is Kanaya’s gasp that projects the surprise she is meant to feel now. Dave and Rose both face her in shock.

“Are Congratulations In Order”

“Should I Begin Working On a Celebratory Banner”

“Rose What Is The Human Word That I Should Employ On The Banner”

“woah”

“kan no”

“no banner”

“i donno if this is a good thing or like if its gonna last or anything”

“or if its even a thing”

“i uh”

“we didnt talk about it”

“Wait. Dave, how did you not talk about this with him?”

“Yes”

“Karkat Would Never Have Let You Kiss Him And Then Not Discuss It”

“He Would Deem It Necessary To Identify The Status Of Your Relationship”

Dave drops his head into his hands with a groan.  _ my brain must be all kinds of broken _

There is a pounding at the door and Dave freezes as he stares at it.

“Dave, you didn’t!”  Rose admonishes as she stands.

“rose dont open it”

“What Am I Missing Here”

“What Is It You Think Dave Has Done”

The pounding strikes again, three times sharply. It is followed by  “STRIDER, I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE. OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR YOU FUCKING TACTLESS COWARD.”

“Dave, you can’t run from your issues like this. It only creates more problems. Like Karkat pounding on my door yelling loudly enough to wake the whole meteor.”

Dave continues to stare at the door, seemingly unwilling to believe what he’s hearing. Kanaya is looking back and forth between the door, slowly putting together what must have happened from the pieces being presented to her: Dave kissed and ran.

“Here’s your ultimatum: Let him keep pounding on the door, it’ll eventually wake everyone. Then they’ll all figure out what’s going on; Or, you can open the door and have an actual conversation with him. Kanaya will go and make sure anyone who has been awakened has a reasonable lie to believe. I’ll keep Karkat from shredding you to pieces here. Your choice.”

Rose settles herself back into her chair as Kanaya slides out of the bed. Dave nods slowly, burying his face in his knees.  “open the door kanaya”

She does, and Karkat stumbles into the room looking about as pissed off as Rose had expected. Rose picks up her notepad and pen, crossing her legs. Kanaya slips out of the room and shuts the door behind her. Rose reminds herself to thank her later for going along with her on this, it would be much more interesting to watch it all play out.

“ROSE, WHAT THE FUCK.”

She holds up her hand,  “I’m only here to listen, Karkat. You two are both angry, and tense. I’m just going to ensure it doesn’t get out of hand.”

Dave chuckles weakly from his spot on the floor, still unwilling to meet anyone’s eyes.

“WHAT’S SO FUCKING FUNNY, ASSHOLE?”

“its fucking couples therapy”

“damn rose”

“you should start charging for this shit, make a billion boondollars off it i swear”

Rose rolls her eyes, and motions for Karkat to take a seat on the floor,  “I’m just going to start the ball rolling here because I’d like to get back to sleep at some point. Karkat is mad because you kissed him and ran off without explaining yourself, Dave. Dave is upset because he is coping with his own internalized homophobia alongside the fact that he is very obviously attracted to you, Karkat. I would like one or both of you to explain what happened, in detail, or at least more detail than I’ve extrapolated so I can better help you both.”

Karkat stares at Rose with confusion in his eyes, but plops himself down next to Dave on the floor anyway.  “DID HE RUN OVER HERE IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEAVING ME TO BE FUCKING *THERAPIZED*? WAS KISSING ME THAT TRAUMATIC FOR YOU, YOU FUCKING BASTARD?”

Dave outs a rueful laugh before turning slightly and looking at Karkat from the corner of his eye. The look Karkat sees there immediately makes him stop, because the answer he finds is yes.  “ROSE, I NEED YOU TO TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON HERE.”

“I need you to explain what was happening before Dave came to me.”

Karkat drags a hand down his face,  “WE WERE JUST HANGING OUT, LIKE USUAL…”  He and Dave were having a normal day, the awkwardness of the night they watched The Time Traveler’s Wife fading from both of their minds as quickly as it could on a meteor with nearly nothing to do. He wasn’t sure when it started to get out of hand, or how long they had been leading up to the minute Dave planted one on him, but he told Rose that he thinks it had started when he whipped a pillow at Dave’s shoulder. They had been sitting on the couch, staring into the ceiling when Karkat had caught sight of the pillow jammed into the couch. He pried it free with a little force and held it in his lap for what felt like an hour before he grabbed it by the corner and smacked Dave with it as hard as he could.

“dude what the actual fuck”

So Karkat reared back and did it again. He was bored and this was getting a reaction. The third time he attempted to smack Dave with the now not-so-fluffy pillow, Dave had pulled it away from him with an air of fake anger and spoke  “oh that is it”

They had begun tugging on the pillow, and Karkat was sure he had the better of Dave when he suddenly let go of the pillow. The force with which Karkat was pulling had sent the pillow flying into the wall behind them both and caused Karkat to flop backwards on the couch. Dave followed and weakly pinned his arms to the couch, Karkat let him while amusement shone in his eyes.  “you owe me an apology vantas”

“I DON’T OWE YOU SHIT, STRIDER.”

Dave pushed his shades up on top of his head and quirked an eyebrow. The sight of it had nearly been enough to make Karkat break.  “you sure about that”

In lieu of a response Karkat had growled, pushing his wrists against Dave’s hands weakly. It had been a playful threat, one meant to remind Dave that Karkat had the advantage when it comes to strength and he was only on top because Karkat was allowing it.

“okay then”

“youre gonna regret this karkles”

“im gonna make you regret it”

Dave changed his position. He pulled Karkat’s arms flush against his sides and used his own knees to keep them pinned down. Then he began running his hands over Karkat’s face, neck and arms sharply pinching him. The troll’s skin was too thick to be tickled, but Dave knew this wouldn’t really hurt him and would produce roughly the same effect.

Karkat started struggling, if only to put on a show for Dave. He quickly got his arms free and pushed Dave square in the chest. The blonde fell backwards onto the other side of the couch, but he was fast enough to keep Karkat from pinning his arms down. He got them around the troll’s neck and pulled, causing them both to topple over onto the floor. Their tussle continued until they were both breathless, with Dave’s back to the floor and Karkat caging him in.

“I DON’T REGRET IT, DAVE. I THINK THAT MAKES ME THE WINNER.”  Karkat huffed with a smile on his face. Dave’s shades had been lost in the tussle. 

Maybe it’s the smile they share, or the quick chuckle, but suddenly all signs of happiness drop from Dave’s face. He slides a hand up the back of Karkat’s neck,  “stop me” , he whispers.

“DAV-?”  Karkat attempts to question, but suddenly Dave has leveraged himself up and is pressing his lips against Karkat’s own. Once, twice, and then Karkat is kissing back and lowering Dave back to the ground so he doesn’t have to keep his weight up on one elbow. He threads his hand into Dave’s hair and presses more kisses to his lips,  _ FINALLY, FINALLY,  _ he thinks, and then Dave is pulling away too quickly.

“fuck” Dave mutters as he flees from the room, leaving Karkat alone and confused. It took less than three minutes for that confusion to turn to anger and for Karkat to tear down the hallway looking for Dave. 

Rose nodded along, listening intently while Karkat explained what happened.  “Do you have anything to add, Dave?”

Dave has been looking up from the ground for the better part of the explanation, watching Karkat speak. He looks to Rose, opens his mouth before closing it again. He turns back to Karkat and lightly grabs the troll’s hand,  “i didnt run to hurt you”

“dude i dont think i even did it on purpose”

“like”

“i was into it”

“i was perfectly content to mack on you for a good long while yet but my brain”

“something in that fucker was just like nope not cool”

“you cant be smoochin on your good buddy there dave”

“i do not care if you wanna run your hands through his hair thats *gay* and whoo boy you know that shit had better be on lockdown more than a liquor cabinet at a frat house like if you do not keep a lock on that cabinet it will all up and fuckin walk away like it grew legs because college boys know how to fuckin party-”

“Dave, you’re rambling.”

Karkat rolls his eyes, but squeezes Dave’s hand.  “OKAY, ROSE. YOUR TURN TO EXPLAIN.”

Rose sighs and leans back into her chair,  “Okay,”  she slides a hand along her hair, but not through it. She leans forward and begins to explain,  “On Earth, particularly where Dave is from, being attracted to individuals of the same gender is sometimes frowned upon. Consequences can range from nonexistent, to being thrown out of your home by those entrusted with caring for you, to being hurt or even killed by strangers or, in the worst cases, people who you care about.”

Dave has tucked his face back into his knees. He does not want to see the look on Karkat’s face.

Karkat is processing the information Rose is providing, and it is unconscious when he wraps an arm around Dave. Dave flinches like he always does when he isn’t watching and someone touches him.

“In some cases, such as Dave, those who are attracted to the same gender will often pretend they aren’t even if it is painful for them to do so. Sometimes when confronted head-on with their attraction they can panic, much like Dave did tonight, because they have been conditioned to believe that their attraction is bad, or wrong.”

“HOW DO WE GET HIM THROUGH IT?”

Rose smirks,  “Time, patience, effort and a willingness to stop and remind him that his attraction isn’t wrong. Therapy can help.”

Dave groans, lifting his head,  “therapy got me into this fuckin mess rose”

“SHUT UP, DAVE. YOU’VE MADE ENOUGH STUPID DECISIONS TONIGHT.”

“dude you dont have to stick around for this”

“rose is just gonna psychologically torment me until im bashing my head against a rock”

“you dont have to be a part of it”

Karkat glares at him, silently challenging Dave to tell him to get lost,  “YOU ALREADY MADE ME A PART OF IT, DAVE. AND I TOLD YOU, I DON’T REGRET IT.”

It takes Dave a minute to piece together what Karkat is saying, but when he does he swears he feels his heart stop.  “oh”  _ you dont regret kissing me back _

“okay”

“therapize me rose”

It’s in that moment that Kanaya walks back into the room with a yawn,  “Get the fuck out, both of you. Therapy tomorrow, sleep tonight.”  She makes grabby hands at Kanaya, and is quickly swept up into her girlfriend’s arms. Kanaya smiles into the kiss she drops on Rose’s waiting lips.

Dave gags and starts pulling on Karkat’s arm.  “nope no way dude”

“i draw the line at my sister getting macked on”

“i can put up with a lot of pda but thats the line i draw in the sand”

Karkat rolls his eyes and follows Dave out of the room, pulling the door tightly behind him to shut out the girlish giggling Rose and Kanaya are engaging in.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of the main story, next chapter is just going to be a little one-off epilogue thing. Thanks for all the kudos, comments and bookmarks, everyone! They mean a lot to me.

Dave tries to keep his chill around Karkat after that. They go and see Rose once a week, sometimes more if Dave starts freaking out or Karkat notices him feeling particularly guilty. Karkat stops and talks to Kanaya, asking more about how he should feel about the whole quadrantless romance.  "You Only Need Use Labels You Are Comfortable With"  she offers,  "I Do Suggest Keeping Dave In On This Conversation."

So Karkat sits, and thinks, and eventually brings it up with Dave.  "i dunno man"

"uh"

"i dont really wanna share you with anyone else"

"which is pretty shitty of me"

"since im not even sure im gay"

"i think im still all kinds of fucked up"

Karkat rolls his eyes and drags Dave down the hall to see Rose again. He doesn't bring up quadrants again for quite a while, but he does stop trying to shove Dave into any single square. Some days he loves him red and pities him pale, others he hates him black. Karkat deals with the confusingly fast vacillations, steady if not secure in the knowledge that no one on the meteor is going to steal Dave away. 

The day Dave comes to him and says:  "so uh"

"im not gay"

Karkat nearly falls off the couch,  "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN, DAVE?"  There's a moment of panic when he thinks,  _ THIS IS IT. IT'S OVER. _

Apparently Dave can see it in his eyes because he follows it up with  "oh shit dude"

"no"

"im still into your grumpy ass"

"man i fully intend to be all up in your business all day erry day like an undercover IRS agent at a shady casino full on snoopin in your poker chips and reading your cards with a backwards mirror and giving out your trade secrets to my bosses back at hq like they give a damn but in reality you know im spyin on you so you keep playin it off and i cant bust you because youre playin me ice cold and-"

Dave stops, seemingly realizing that his rambling isn't helping to lessen Karkat's panic. He, however, is not aware of how little it made sense.

"so uh"

"anyway"

"rose and i finally put it together"

"i aint gay"

"i just happen to like guys too"

"i can get it with chicks and dicks if you will"

Dave makes controlled hand movements as he speaks, the ones that give away when he's nervous. 

Karkat's pusher thrums harshly in his chest. He vacillates between pale and black, and that's a new pairing for him, which makes him feel weird and tingly. He wants to calm Dave's nerves with a good shooshing. He wants to dig his nails into Dave's shoulder blades and bite at his neck for making him think they were over. He settles for launching up and grabbing hold of Dave, dragging him bodily onto the couch. Dave lands on top of him heavily, and then he's the one kissing Karkat's neck. He manages to get the Troll to tilt his head back as he kisses and bites along his throat, and then Karkat is vacillating rapidly between red and black and pale. It's too much, but it's so close to being perfect. 

Dave is running his hands over Karkat's chest, straddling his waist and kissing him deeply. Karkat doesn't push him, even as he recognizes how much he wants to. He knows he would have the upper hand here, he's stronger than Dave and a little heavier too. And it doesn't take much to coerce Dave into doing something Karkat wants him to, but after the last time- Dave painting, gasping, getting into it then shutting down because Karkat got him to take off his shirt-, Karkat wants to be careful. He doesn't want to have Dave run off again, insistent that he must talk to Rose because the guilt hurts. 

So Karkat gets his hands in Dave's hair, and he alternates between tugging lightly and scraping his nails across Dave's scalp the way he knows Dave likes, and he gasps into Dave's mouth when the human inches his sweater up a bit. Dave gingerly rests his hand on the skin by Katkat's hip.

"is this okay"

Karkat isn't sure if Dave is asking for his consent or if he means it in the broader way, the "is it okay for me to be kissing and touching you or is that wrong" way, but it doesn't matter.

"YEAH."

And Karkat curls his fingers, pulling Dave back to his lips and his pusher pulses and  _ hurts  _ because  _ FUCK THIS IS NICE _ . It's not going to be easy, because they both have their hangups, but if they make the effort, if they try, they can get through it and they can do it together.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end, hope y'all enjoyed it!

It's months later when Dave and Karkat are in the nutrition block again. They're getting snacks for movie night, again. And in walks Eridan, without so much as a smug grin or bitchy comment, even as Dave has Karkat trapped between the counter and his chest. Eridan eyes them up for a moment, he even walks up next to them before reaching over them both and grabbing something out of the cabinet.

"okay"

"what gives"

Dave snaps as Eridan starts to leave.

"last time you caught us in here you went all jerk-face zero chill on the homoerotic subtext that i wasnt even on the up on yet"

Eridan stops, leans against the wall and looks at Karkat and Dave. Karkat has his arms wrapped around Dave's neck, head tucked gently under his chin. He's still a bit shorter, but he's muscle and chub where Dave is lean and lanky. Dave's hands are on Karkats hips and the embrace is clearly meant to be amorous instead of friendly.

"i suppose i owwe you an apology for that,"  Eridan sighs, a sort of self-deprecating half smile on his face.

"i just couldn't pass up the opportunity for a neww wwardrobe."

"wwe'vve been stuck on this dreadful rock for so long, and i wwas practically dyin for somethin neww to wwear."

"rose and kanaya paid me off."  Eridan shrugs as though it's no big deal.  "i apologize for my earlier behavvior, but in my defense, i do stand by wwhat i said. you twwo wwere... wwell rose wwas right." And with that, he leaves the nutrition block.

It's Karkat's jaw that drops, but Dave just starts laughing like a man bewitched.

"holy shit"

"of fucking course"

"no wonder it felt like rose was scheming and shit"

"i always wondered why eridan was being such a pompous dick that day"

"man he usually just ignored us"

"i figured sollouxs bee really just got all up in his bonnet that day but this makes so much more fucking sense plus it explains why rose was-"

Karkat rolled his eyes, pushed up so he was next to Dave's ear and purred. It was the best way to shut him up because as nice as kissing him worked out Dave would continue to try to talk though the kiss, or he would continue he ramble immediately after. The purring, however, never failed to send a full body shudder through Dave, effectively forcing his brain to restart. Control, alt, delete motherfucker.

Dave whined as his brain came back online, dropping his head on Karkat’s shoulder,  "karkles"

"babe"

"darlin"

"you cant just *do* that to a guy"

"there's a time and a place" 

Dave sighs, pulling a hand through his hair, tension playing across his frame.

"there's gotta be rules and regulations"

"the kitchen is not a good place for that"

Karkat shifts, playing with the collar of Dave's shirt slowly before he suddenly fists his hand in it and drags Dave's ear down to mouth level.  "GET THE FUCKING SNACKS YOU HEATHEN. IT'S MOVIE NIGHT AND I *WILL* START THE MAKEOUT PARTY WITHOUT YOU."

Dave did not bother to question how Karkat would achieve this, instead opting to grab the popcorn and sour gummies and follow him back to his room. Can't miss the fuckin makeout party.


End file.
